Termite shield connector



May 20, 1941. w. H. SCALES TERMITE SHIELD CONNECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21} 1940 l/Mlerflkalm" M y 20,1941- w. H. SCA ES 2,242,266

TERMITE SHIELD CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 21, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ilhlielfllmlw' Q mum/19W;

May 20, 1941. w. H. SCALES TERMITE SHIELD CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 21, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 20, 1941 2,242,266 TERMITE SHIELD CONNECTOR Walter H. Scales, New Orleans, La., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Timber Engineering Company, Washington, D. 0., a corporation of Delaware Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,180

3 Claims.

The invention relates to protection of buildings from termites and has as an object the improvement in details of a shield structure to be placed upon a wall to prevent termites from gaining access to the superstructure.

A recognition of the menace of the termite has been growing rapidly in recent times. Many proposals have been made of processes and structures to exterminate termites and to protect buildings from their ravages andmany such proposed remedies have proven ineffective.

An effective remedy has been found to be the placing of a. shield upon the top of the wall to project horizontally for a certain distance and then downwardly at an angle, which shield if imperforate and if there are no cracks in the foundation through which the insect may pass around and inside the shield is found to be substantially 100% safe.

In accordance with the present invention the shield is made in units of a length which may be handled and shipped with facility and means are provided to join any necessary number of such units into lengths to fit the structure to be protected. Also in accordance with the invention there is provided a means to quickly gauge the projection of the shield from the foundation when placed thereon.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connectlon with the accompanying drawings showing illustrative embodiments of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a detail plan view of a portion of a wall having one form of the invention applied thereto, the superstructure being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section through a p rtion of the foundation wall and a portion of e superstructure to show the relation of the parts;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of an outside corner shield in place;

Fig. 4 is a like view of an inside corner;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the end of a unit of a shield in place upon a foundation shown in dotted lines and illustrating one form of the gauge means; v

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a connector;

Fig. '7 is a detail perspective View seen from below of a portion of a shield illustrating a different form of gauge;

Fig. 8 is a like view of a connector carrying a gauge element;

Fig. 9 is a like view of another form of shield;

Fig. 10 is a like view of a connector usable with the form of shield shown in Figure 9;

Fig. 11 is a detail longitudinal view through two joined units of the shield with the connector in place, showing a gauge tongu in elevation;

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view seen from below of a corner shield for an outside corner of the connector shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view seen from above of the form of connector shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a shielded column;

Fig. 15 is a horizontal section on line l5--l5 of v Figure 14;

Fig. 16 is a detail plan view of a shielded cor-- ner of the foundation utilizing the form of shield adjacent the comer shown in Figure 9;

Fig, 17 is a plan view of a shield of a pier shown with the shield in place; and

Fig. 18 is a plan view illustrating the manner of shielding an abutment of the foundation.

In accordance with the form of Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, the inside and outside respectively of the foundation wall are shown as capped by shields 20 which may be supplied from the factory in convenient lengths as 6 or 8 feet and which may be readily cutvby the mechanic where an even number of lengths do not fit the work. To connect adjacent elements 20 the invention provides connectors 21 one of which is shown in perspective in Figure 6 and comprising a pair of plates desirably of the same gauge of sheet metal as is used for the plates 20 one of said plates having an offset portion 22 at which it is attached to the other thereof in any desirable manner. As shown the attaching means comprise spot welds as indicated at 23 but it will be appreciated that rivets, brazing, or any other desirable method of attachment may be utilized.

The offset 22 is of such a depth as to provide oppositely facing channels at each side thereof between the two plates and of such a thickness as to form a reasonably close fit with the material of the shield plates when assembled therewith.

Since both the shield plates and the connectors will be firmly held in position when applied to a foundation wall with the superstructure in place thereon there is no demand for any attachment such as an interlock or a resilient clasp between the connector and the shields, the only requirement being that the joint shall be sufficiently tight as to make passage of insects therethrough impossible.

Since building codes normally provide that the shields shall have a definite extension from the wall as for instance two inches, the invention provides gauge means for convenience in quickly placing the shields in correct position. In Figures 1-5 inclusive, this gauge means takes the form of projections 25 struck out from the middle of the shield desirably by deformation only and without leaving an opening in the shield through which the insects might pass.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 7 and 8 the gauge means take the form of tongue members 26 applied at the factory in any definite number upon each of the elements. These tongue members may be applied in the form of fiat strips lying against the shield and may be spot welded or riveted therethrough at the proper location, the members to be bent outwardly by the workmen when wanted for 1 use. By this expedient the shields may be nested into bundles for shipment without interference by the gauge means.

In Figure 8 the gauge means is shown as applied to the connector 2| which may be in the same manner as already described for the form shown in Figure 7. If applied to the connector they will usually not be needed upon the shields 20, as the angular form of the connector and shields will place the shields definitely if the connector is located by such gauge means.

Also, when applied to the connector and made of metal of the same thickness as the connector itself, the gauge means when lying flat in the channel provided by the offset portion will not take any room in the bundle of connectors being shipped.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1-4 inclusive, the outside of the wall at the corner is' protected by means of a corner shield 21 which forms an extension around the corner of the shields 20 along the sides of the structure and which corner members 22 will fit into the usual connector 2i. In like manner the inside corner is shown as supplied with an appropriately shaped corner protector 28.

The form of connector 21 shown in Figure 1 is illustrated in perspective in Figure 12 as comprising the plate portion 29 and the angle portion or skirt 30, the two portions of which at the angle are shown as joined by a curved portion 3|.

In Figure,13 is also shown the form of connector 28 for the inside corner having a portion 32 at the corner formed on the surface of a cone, the surfaces 3| and 32 being surfaces of the frustums of cones. While this form of corner is at present preferred it is to be understood that the curved form is shown for purposes of illustration only, and an angular form, as a mitered joint, forming a hip or a valley may be used if desired.

The outside of the building is subject to easy inspection and as is well known the termite insect cannot attack a superstructure spaced from the ground without building mud channels from the ground to the structure, therefore where either the outside or the inside of the building is in plain sight and easy of inspection, shields are not needed if the owner will perform the inspection at rather infrequent intervals. In view of this fact the form of the invention already described is such that it may be used at only one side, inside or outside of the walls as desired, Figure 3 showing a foundation with an outside shield only in place and Figure 4 with an inside shield only in place.

The form already described is amply sufllcient if the foundation is well constructed and has no cracks, but where the sheets do not meet upon the top of the wall as indicated in Figure 1, a crack in the wall accessible to the insects at the ground and opening to the superstructure between the shields would destroy the efllciency of this form of the invention.

To provide a shield not open to this objection the form of Figures 9-11 and 14-17 is provided comprising a shield 33 having a main element 34 oi suflicient width to entirely cover the top of the foundation wall and project at each side the distance required by the building code, the said sheet portion 34 terminating in downwardly directed skirts 35', 38'.

The angle of the skirts in thisand all forms of the invention is that which the building code may provide, usually 45 from the horizontal. This form of the invention must be made in width to fit the foundation wall which in view of the fact that the foundation walls are largely standardized is not a serious objection.

In Figure 10 is shown a form of connector 2| for use with the extended shield. Figure 11 shows the relation of the shields with the connector in place, as is obvious. In Figure 16 is shown a corner for use with the shield of Figure 9 and comprising in effect an outside corner as 21 and inside corner as 28 with the horizontal members of the two formed integrally as at 35.

For use upon columns or piers the invention provides a member such as indicated at 33, Figure 14, two of which may be applied to the top of the column joined by a connector 2!, being formed of a size to project horizontally from the column the required distance and with downwardly directed skirts or flanges 31, 38 Joined by corner members 33.

The size of the members 36 is such that when joined with a connector they will fit a square column. As shown in Figure 1'7 two of the members 36 may be utilized with a section of the shield plate 33, the whole being united by connectors 2|.

As shown in Figure 18 a member 36 is united with two inside corner members 28 to turn the angle and be continued by means of members 20.

If the form of Figure 9 is to be used where there is an abutment, a connector 2| can be used instead of a connector 2! to connect the inside corners with the adjacent sections of the wall shield and the clear-across shield may be utilized.

In each of the illustrated forms the shield has been shown as applied to the top of the foundation. It is to be understood that this location is not shown by way of limitation as the invention contemplates embedding the shield in the wall at any desired height above the ground. This may be done with any form of shield shown or c ing within the scope of the claims.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiments of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A connector for forming a termite, tight joint between termite shield plate members, said connector comprising: strips of metal rigidly united at their central longitudinal portions; one of said strips being formed with a relatively narrow portion oil'set from the general plane of the strip; said offset portion in contact with the central portion of the remaining strip to provide the area of union between the strips; the inwardly facing surfaces of both strips, laterally of said ofiset portion to the edges of the strips presenting plane unobstructed surfaces whereby the assembled strips present unobstructed, oppositely facing, edgewise-opening channels; the amount of said offset determining the width of opening of said channels and being substantially equal to the thickness of the plates to be connected.

2. A connector for termite shields having down turned margins, said connector comprising: a metal strip presenting plane surfaces throughout with unobstructed margins; a second strip having a narrow longitudinal portion midway of its width ofiset from the plane of the margins thereof; the raised surface provided by said offset rigidly secured to the central longitudinal portion of the first named strip to provide open unobstructed channels at the edges of the assembly;

the widths of-said channels being approximately tongue free at one end and located to provide a shield-assembly-locating gauge when bent to project from said groove.

WALTER H. SCALES. 

